Toothbrush cabinet with agitator



Aug. 14, 1951 Q COLEMAN 2,564,353

TooTHBRusH CABINET WITH AGITATOR Filed Deo. 25, 1949 el (17 1,5/ Z7 zgf5 l IH' l Z0 f8 55 T a 55 .Ziz- 9.5

ji INVENTOR.

GARLIN COLEMAN Patentecl Aug. 14, 1951 TOOTHBRSH CABINET WITH AGITATORIGarlin Coleman, New York, N. Y.

23, 1949, Serial No. 134,809 Y i claims. (c1. 31a-206) ApplicationDecember This invention relates to new and useful improvements incabinets or the like for toothbrushes.

One object Yof the present invention is to vpro-- vide a case fortoothbrushes in the form of a wall cabinet of plastic which may be of acolor to harmonize with the decor of the room in which the cabinet isplaced and to contrast with the colors of the toothbrush or toothbrushesmounted therein andyet which is Vsufliciently transparent to permitviewing the contents of the cabinet without opening the door thereof.

Preferably the cabinet is mounted above a sink or thelike Yand anotherobject of the invention is to provide the cabinet with Ventilatingopenerence will be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel featuresof the invention are more particularly set forth. y

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the cabinet of the invention with atoothbrushv mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a front View of the cabinet with the door open. Y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. f

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the cabinet andillustrates one of the hinges for the door thereof and also the meansfor securing together the top and sides of the cabinet,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged View of the cabinet from beneath and illustratesthe means for 'securing the bottom thereof to the sides.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View -on line 6-6 of Fig. l.

-by opening and closing the door.

Fig. 8V is an enlarged sectionalV view on line Fig. 9 is a fragmentarysectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view on line Ille-I0 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking in the direction of thearrow II of Fig. '7.

,Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of the agitator mounted on thedoor and illustrated also in Fig. 7.

Fig. 13 is a face view partly broken of the inner side of the cabinetdoor removed from the remainder of the cabinet and illustrates aninactive position of a certain agitator mounted on the door.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, the cabinet of the invention comprises a rearwall partition I5 to which are secured by screws I6 a top partition I"I, side walls I8 and a floor partition 20. The walls I8 are secured byscrews 2| (Fig. 4) to the top piece I1 and by screws 22 (-Fig. 5) to thefloor piece 2U. A door 23 is pivotally secured by hinges 24 to theleft-hand side wall IB and is provided with a handle 25 secured in placeby a screw 26 (see also Fig. 6). Adjacent the inner face of the door 23,the handle 25 is formed with a notch 25a engageable with a keeperprojection I8a on the side wall I8 for retaining the door 23 in a closedposition, see particularly Fig. 6. The side walls I8 are provided abovetheir centers with transverse grooves to receive the ends of, andsupport, a toothbrush rack or shelf 21 having therein a plurality ofkeyhole slots 28 for toothbrushes 30. The slots 28 are so designed thata toothbrush handle can be slid thereinto edgewise and turned so thatthe width of the handle is greater than the mouth of the slot, the brushthen being held against becoming disengaged from the shelf 21.

All of the cabinet components described, with the exception of thehinges and the screws, are

formed of transparent plastic suitably colored to complement the decorof the room in which the Ycabinet is placed and to contrast with thecolors of the one or more toothbrushes suspended therein.

In Vorder that the cabinet be secured on a wall or the like with aminimum ofeffort, the rear wall I5 thereof is provided with two upperand one lower holes 3| through which nails or screws` can be driven intothe wall.

Means are provided for Ventilating the cabinet to facilitate the dryingprocess of the toothbrushes therein, and for draining out of the cabinetthe water dripping from the wet Ytoothbrushes. The Ventilating meanscomprises a plurality of holes 32 in the upper portions of side walls I8(Figs. 1 and 4). 'I'he drainage means comprises a plurality of holes 33in the bottom partition of the cabinet, which arrangement makes itdesirable to mount the cabinet over a sink or the like.

In a modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. '7 to 13, meansare provided for automatically agitating the shelf 21 as the door 23 isopenedand.vr closed, thus quickening-'the drying process of thetoothbrushes by shaking loose the droplets of water clinging thereto.

The modified cabinet is constructed the same as described hereinbeforeexcept. .forthefshelf-f 21 and certain additions so that a redescriptionof the unchanged parts is deemed unnecessary.

The shelf 21 in the modified cabinetispivoted near its rear edge ontrunnions 34 journalled in the side walls I8 (Figs. x8 and 9), thefront'ofthe shelf being supported ron blocks 35 secured by screws 36(Fig. '10)'. .to the. said side Walls. AThe edge of shelf 21 adjacentrear wall15 is rounded fas at"`31 (Fig. 10) vto permit 'its rockingon-:the

trunnions 34 and a leaf spring 39 secured .to rear wall l5 is providedto restrain the shelf against the blocks 35.

In order to agitate the shelf-ina rockinglmanner, an agitating member 3S(Figs. 7, 8, '12 a1'1d13) having rack tooth-like serrations 40 on its:upper edge is mounted on the door 23 and cooperates with a tooth 4l ona bracket '42 -securedto the under side of shelf 21 nearits forward edgeYby screws- 43 (Figs. '1, -lOy and l1) VThe serrated upper edge 40 ofactuator 38 is arcuate as shown The construction is such that as thedoor 23 is swung closed the serrations will come into contact with thetooth 4l and willrock the front edge of shelf 21 forcibly upward, saidshelf being? rocked oppositely between serrationhigh points by thespringl 39. Thus, each time door' 23`is opened or closed the shelf 21 isagitated forcibly in a rocking manner and any dropletsof water clingingto the bristles of the toothbrushes 'sup-` 45 ported thereon are shakenloose.

Preferably the agitator is providedy at its lower end with a hole 44(Fig. 13) through which there is frictionally passed a screw 45 tosecure the same on door 23 in such manner that thevagitator can berotated about said screw through an angle of 180 to a position in whichthe'serrations 40 thereof cannot act on the" tooth 4I to rock the shelf,if itis desired -temporarily to refrain from such automatic shelfagitation. `This inactive position of the agitator 30 is illustrated inFig. 14.

While I have illustrated and describedthe preferred embodiments of myinvention, itis to be understood that I do not limit myself `to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications kcoming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what` I.

claim as new, and desire to -secure` by' United States Letters Patentis:

1. A wall cabinet for toothbrushes of transparent colored plasticcomprising av rearwall, `side walls, top and bottom partitions, adoorhinged' to one of said side walls, a handle for opening and closing saiddoor, a pair of trunnions jourvnalled one in each of said side wallsabove its center and close to'said rear wall, al shelf pivoted in saidshelf to receive and support a plurality of toothbrushes, a pair ofblocks secured one to each of said side walls to support the forwardportion of said shelf, a spring to tension said shelf against saidblocks, and means on said door and engaging said shelf to actautomatically on opening and closing said door to rock said shelfagainst the tension of said spring to shake loose any droplets of waterclinging to said toothy: brushes.

' 2.' A w`all cabinet for toothbrushes of transpar- .ent colored plasticcomprising a rear wall, side `wa11s, top and bottom partitions, a doorhinged 1to1 oneof saidfside walls, a handle for opening and closing saiddoor, a pair of trunnions jour- 25 rock-saidshelf against the tension ofsaid spring toshake loose-any droplets of water clingingV to `*saidtoothbrushes, said means comprising an agitator mounted onsaidfdoor andincluding a serrated upper edge, and a bracket including a toothlrengagedhy' said serrated edge secured to the under s'idefof said shelfnear its forwardedge, the serrations acting through said tooth-to rockthe vfront edge of theshelf upward, and rthe l spring rocking theshelf-downward.

3. A-wall cabinet for toothbrushes of transparent colored plasticcomprising a rear wall, side walls; top and bottom partitions, a doorhinged to one of said side walls, a handlel for opening and closing saiddoor, a pair of trunnions journalled one in each of said sidewalls aboveits center and close to said rear wall, a shelf pivoted'on saidtrunnions, a plurality of keyhole slots in said shelf to receive andsupport aplurality of toothbrushes, a pair of blocks secured one" toeach of said side walls to support the :forwardportion of said shelf, aspring to tension saidY shelf against said blocks, and a .pivotallymounted means on said door and engaging said shelflto. act automaticallyon opening and closing said door to rock said shelf against Vthe tensionof said spring Vto shake loose any droplets of water clinging tosaidtoothbrushes.

4.A=wall cabinet for toothbrushes of trans- :parentvcolored lplasticcomprising a rear wall, side walls, top and bottom partitions, a .doorhinged -to one of said side walls, a handlefor opening and closing saiddoor, a pair of trunnions-journalledfone in each of said-'side wallsabove its center and close to said'rear wall, -a vshelf pivoted on saidtrunnions, a plurality of nkeyholelslots in said shelf to receive'andsupport a plurality `of toothbrushes, a pair of blocks secured one to:each ofV said side walls to'support 'theforwardportion of said shelf, aspring 'to tensionssaid shelf against said blocks, and means actingautomatically on opening and 'closing saiddoor to rock said shelfagainst the tension of said spring to shake loose any droplets of waterclinging to'said toothbrushes, said means comprising. an agitatormounted on said `door Vand including a serrated upper edge, andrabracket including a tooth engaged by sadserratedzedge secured to `thevunder side of said onsaidf ltrunnionsa pluralityeoff keyhole vslots-75shelf near its forward edge, the serrations acting through said tooth torock the front edge of the shelf upward, and the spring rocking theshelf downward, said agitator being swingable manually to a position inwhich said serrations do not act on said tooth.

5. A wall cabinet for toothbrushes of transa parent colored plasticcomprising a rear wall, side walls, top and bottom partitions, a doorhinged to one of said side walls, a handle for opening and closing saiddoor, a pair of trunnions journalled one in each of said-side wallsabove its center and close to said rear wall, a shelf pivoted on saidtrunnions, a plurality of keyhole slots in said shelf to receive andsupport a plurality of toothbrushes, a pair., of blocks secured one toeach of said side walls to support the forward portion of said shelf, aspring to tension said shelf against said blocks, and means actingautomatically on opening and closing said door to rock said shelfagainst the tension of said spring to shake loose any droplets of waterclinging to said toothbrushes, said means comprising an agitatorpivotally mounted on said door and including a serrated upper edge, anda bracket including a tooth engaged by said serrated edge secured to theunder side of said shelf near its forward edge, said agitator beingpivotal to a position in which the serrations coact with said tooth torock the front edge of the shelf upward, the spring restoring saidshelf, or to a position in which said serrations do not coact with saidtooth.

6. A wall cabinet for toothbrushes, comprising a cabinet body havingspaced side walls and an open front side, a door hinged to one of saidside walls to swing on a vertical axis for closing the open front side,a pair of end aligned trunnions journalled one in each of said sidewalls close to the rear edges thereof, a shelf pivoted on said trunnionsfor supporting toothbrushes, a pair of blocks secured one to each ofsaid side walls tg support the forward portion of said shelf, a

6 spring tensioning said shelf against said blocks, an agitator mountedon said door adjacent its free vertical edge and having a serrated upperedge, and a tooth depending from the under side of said shelf andengaging the serrated upper edge of said agitator to cause the shelf tobe oscillated against the action of said spring when said door is openedand closed.

7. A wall cabinet for toothbrushes, comprising a cabinet body havingspaced side walls and an open front side, a door hinged to one of saidside walls to swing on a vertical axis for closing the open front side,a pair of end aligned trunnions journalled one in each of said sidewalls close to the rear edges thereof, a shelf pivoted on said trunnionsfor supporting toothbrushes, a pair of blocks secured one to each ofsaid side walls to support the forward portion of said shelf, a springtensioning said shelf against said blocks, an agitator mounted on saiddoor adjacent its free vertical edge and having a serrated upper edge,and a tooth depending from the under side of said shelf and engaging theserrated upper edge `01 said agitator to cause the shelf to beoscillated against the action of said spring when said door is openedand closed, said agitator being pivotally mounted on said door to beturned to a position in which its serrated top edge is out of alignmentwith said tooth.

GARLIN COLEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,205,311 Wybaillie Nov. 21, 19161,303,884 Goodnow May 20, 1919 1,543,563 Garris June 23, 1925 1,711,327Rock Apr. 30, 1929

